A Path Once Chosen
by Hadir
Summary: We follow the story of a Republic Clone Commando, RC-0883 "Bunker", find his place in a relentless galaxy. What can we expect from a man who is constantly pushed beyond reasonable limits.


Chapter One

Buster slumped against the wall, letting the overwhelming ring wash over and calm him. He always loved the brief moments of tranquility after an explosion. As he heard the last click of debris fall, the blasters started again.

"Damn tinnies are persistent"

Buster popped his head around the lower wall and was met with an intensified wave of blaster fire.

"Boss we got SBDs pouring in the South entrance. I'm down to the last of my ammo. I've left a pack of Bunker's special Thermal Plastoid at the designated support structures and data center, even got a going away present for this lot here"

Boss's calm voice entered his helmet's comm peice.

"Beta is locking down the signal from the control room now. 30 seconds bug out and rendezvous with Bunker at RV point Alpha and await my signal for the final show."

"Confirmed. Tell Bunker to start the caff." Buster said as he started to unhitch his supply pak. Ignoring the incessant blaster fire and the monotonous march of the oncoming droids, Buster started priming the five pound high density det-pak in the base of his bag. 15 seconds left. Buster threw his pak down past a seemingly endless ranks of droids and moved deeper into the corridor. He laid down into prone poisiton Decce ready for any tinnie who might beat the blast. He had just spotted an SBD blaster arm when the shockwave hit him. His HUD blacked out a split second before he felt the familiar punch of 2,000 pounds of displaced air flatten his body.

Boss heard the slight pause of his brothers' breath alongside his own before Bunker's annoyed voice burst into his helmet.

"He knows how much time it takes to make those right."

"Im sure you'll remind him. Meet him at RV point Alpha and see if you can't get the remote detonator working again."

Bunker continued on about the difficulty of concealing five pounds of homemade explosives in a supply pak before he cut out of the comm circuit. Boss watched Beta gently replace the data terminal to its port before returning to his helmet and Squad Comms. Beta always took the greatest care with tech, even if it was about to be shrapnel, Boss noted.

"Signal is locked. Ready to bang out Boss? I see Buster has made us a nice big door."

They could all see the shared viewpoint of their littlest brother now sprinting down a brightly lit charred corridor.

"Confirmed. Bunker... How long to reconfigure one of your remote detonators?"

" 2 minutes" replied Bunker

"Get it done in one"

Escaping from the smoldering wreckage Buster couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride in the success of his squad's first mission. Before the smile reached his face he heard a short and unsettling whistle and was thrown into booming blackness.

Bunker watched in horror from the ridge. He saw the space based bolt bury itself into the tower, and then watched it erupt in orange and black. The readouts from his brothers' suits suddenly vanished from Bunker's HUD. The lifeline that connected them was severed and he was completely separated from Bravo Pod for the first time in his 10 years of life. Bunker did nothing but watch the flames engulf the communications tower until it died down to a smoldering ruin. Almost 18 hours passed before he was snapped back to reality by a screaming General in his comlink.

"RC-0883 report in NOW!!! What is the status of Bravo Squad? Can you visually confirm target has been destroyed."

"Confirmed. Target has been destroyed, the rest of Bravo Squad is presumed KIA." Bunker repiled in a disciplined monotonous voice.

"Stay your location. Prepare for hot extraction. ETA 2 minutes"

Bunker's comlink cut silent once he was given final orders. 'Funny my brothers didn't have 2 minutes' Bunker said to himself. An unadorned Venator settled just half a meter from the cliff he had called home for the past 20 hours. Bunker jumped in assisted by a clone trooper the a major leg wound.

"Welcome to the 81st soldier. Debriefings will be held once we are in orbit." a voice of authority called from the cockpit.

Bunker looked around, and witnessed the consequences of war. Dozens of Clones lay wounded or dying, with a single Med-Droid passing judgment on those who could be saved and those who would die before they docked. A quick bounce and a sudden jerk told Bunker the vessel was under fire on its way through the orange atmosphere of Geonosis, still the droid went about its task oblivious to the horrors around it. The larty jerked once more and Bunker finally snapped, "They're DEAD!!! Why didn't you wait?! All I needed was 2 minutes!" Bunker had his Grenade Launcher mere centimeters from the droids back screaming his pain at his own twisted reflection.

"Sedate him NOW!"

Bunker felt a sharp pain in his gut before he lost all motor functions and was unconscious when he hit the floor.

'So this is the future we've condemned ourselves to,' the Jedi Master thought as she piloted the craft into the blackness of space.


End file.
